Bank-check-printing machine.



M. L. DODGE.

BANK CHECK PRINTING MACHINE.

APYLIOATION FILED MAB. 6, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

4 SEEETS-SHEET 1.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.'IIIIIIIII WITNESSES:

M. L. DODGE.

BANK 011301; PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1911.

1,014,954, Patented Jan.16, 1912.

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BANK CHECK PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. e, 1911 20 I 14. W NNN a y E RN k m MH m0 m mfik w; m m J M f S r m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERTON LEWIS DODGE, OF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOB TO PRINT CHECK 00., OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

BANK-CHECK-PBINTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1911. Serial No. 612,564.

' claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of devices embodying my invention, the containing case being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 isa plan view with the casing omitted. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section. Fig. 5 is a" detail view taken substantially through 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a horizontal view, shown partly in section, of elements illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a front elevation partly in section of the ink roller and the support therefor. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of Fig. 7 with the shield swung back. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken through 9 9 of Fig. 1.

The machine frame comprises side members 1 which are rigidly connected by transverse rods 2 and a supporting base 3. Secured to the top of this frame is a key-board 4; provided with longitudinally disposed slots 4. Said side members are formed with bearings for the main, or operating, shaft 8, the type-wheel shaft 9 and the indicator shaft 10. The type-Wheels 11 are each provided with series of peripheral type 12 with intervening gullets 13. Integral with, or rigidly secured to, each of the type- Wheels is .a toothed pinion 14 in mesh with the teeth of segmental gears 15 which are mounted for oscillatory movements upon a supporting shaft 16. Also in mesh with sald segmental gears are a series of gear Wheels 17 rotatable upon the aforesaid shaft 10 and severally connected or made integral with indicating wheels 18 having upon their peripheries words or other marks corresponding to type characters upon the associated type wheels. The casing 19 of the machine is provided with a sight opening 20 through which the indicating wheels may be inspected to determine the setting of the -type wheels when the same are adjusted through the instrumentality of the operating keys 21 which are carried upon the various gears 15 so as to extend through the key board slots 4. Subjacent to said key board is a rack frame comprising a longitudinal bar 22 for each key and the bars are rigidly connected at their ends to guide rods 22 and 22 whose ends are supported in apertures provided in the frame members 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the under edges of the rack bars 22 are serrated to afford spaced notches 22 for receiving pins 23 extending laterally from the stem 21 of the keys.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912. Y.

The key stems are socketed in holes provided in the respective gears 15 and are pressed upwardly by springs 21 for yieldlngly engaging the pins 23 in the appropriate notches. 22 when the gears 15 are moved by the keys in effecting a selected adjustment of the type wheels and when the rack frame is maintained at one end of its lateral travel by a spring 30, shown in Fig. 3. Each key is provided with a pointer 24 for the purpose of designating with respect to index marks provided on the key board to enable the operator to suitably manipulate the keys for moving the type wheels so as to present selected type thereof into printing positions. The gears 15. are respectively connected from pins 15 thereon by springs 25 with a bar 26 which is rigid with the machine frame. Said springs acting to restore the gears 15 and the parts which are influenced thereby to their normal positions, or corresponding to the inoperative positions of the type wheels. To arrest the rearward movement-s of the gears 15 there is provided a bumper 27 of suitable material, such as leather, supported by a screw 28 extending through a threaded hole in the bar 26, and 29 is a set screw for se-' curing the screw 28.

31 1s a trip bar movable endwise in the frame members through the agency of a lever 32 which is fulcrurned to a pivotal pin 33 upon-the adjacent frame member 1 and 23 extending laterally from the key stems 21, Fig. 4, for the purpose of imparting a partial rotation to the trip bar when any one of the keys is pushed down prior to the setting of the same.

Provided upon the guide rod 22 is a projection 35 (Figs. 5 and 6) arranged to be engaged by a post 30 carried by the trip bar so that when the latter is atlected by the lever 32, the rack frame will be shifted in opposition to spring 30 to withdraw the various rack bars out of engagement with the key pins 23 to allow the springs 25 to act in returning the previously employed segmental gears to their original positions with consequent movements of the type and indicator wheels. When it is desired, however, to print a number of checks from a single setting of the type wheels, the post 36 is swung forwardly so as not to encounter said projection. To which end there is provided at the rear of the post a push rod 37 which is actuated by a lever 38 for tilting the post out of operative position or to retract the push rod from the post. Provided on said rack bars are spring pressed latches 39 whose functions are to catch the pins 23 to prevent the rebound of the various segmental gears when the latter are swung rearwardly through the action of springs 25.

40 is a transversely arranged bar carried by rods 41 slidable in a guide frame 42 serving as a lock for the type wheels when entering a line of gullets 13 of the wheels after the same are set. Said bar being brought into operative engagement by a spring 41 and is disengaged by a lug 41 on a guide rod being pushed downwardly through the agency of a finger 43 provided on the operating shaft 8 when such shaft is influenced by a helical spring 44 subsequent to a printing operation. Exteriorly of the casing the shaft 8 is provided with an operating handle 45 and near each end this shaft also carries a -cam 46 and an arm 47.

48 is the spindle of an ink-roller 48, of felt, or other suitable material, which is guarded by a shield 49 hingedly attached at 49 to the side elements 50 of a frame pivotally connected, as at 51, to the frame members, and eccentrically with respect to the axis of the type wheel shaft. The elements 50 are each provided with a projection 50 which are respectively engaged by rolls 52 carried by the arms 47 to swing the elements 50 upwardly for applying ink to the type in the early portion of the printing operations.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the spindle 48 is housed in slots 53 of said elements and is urged toward the bottom of the slots by a spring 54 secured to each end of the shield. Upon each of said elements is a lever having a curved arm 55 upon one side of its pivotal connection 55 and an arm 55 oppositely thereto and disposed so as to encounter, when carried downwardly, a stud 56 on the adjacent one of the frame members 1, causing the other arm to swing away from spindle 48 to allow springs 54 to assert themselves for causing the ink roller to be then pushed against the type wheels. In their opposite travel, arms 55 strike pins 56 with the result that the curved arms 55 are swung against the spindle 48 to thrust the ink roller outwardly or away from the type wheels after the ink roller has passed the printing line thereof.

Levers 57 are fulcrumed to the machine frame by a rod 58 carrying at the lower end of each a roll 59 which tracks against the respective cams 46. At the upper end of each of these levers is an adjustable screw 60 arranged to be forcibly brought against the rear of a presser bar (31 seated in a recess of the carrier 63 therefor when the latter is depressed into printing position and in opposition to springs, such as 63 (Fig. 9), tending to maintain the presser bar in its rearmost position. To furnish a support for each of the springs 63 and for limiting the movement of the printing bar there is secured to each end of the carrier a small plate 64 bridging the recess of the carrier.

65 is a platen of rubber or other suitable yielding material inserted in a groove along the front edge of said presser bar.

Pivotally connected to screws 66 extending into the carrier in proximity to the upper end thereof are links 67 which are pivotally connected from their lower ends by a rod 68 supported in frame members 1. A link 69 upon each side is connected by a pivot 70 on the respective frame member and b a pivotal screw 71 with the carrier. The links 69 are each provided with a cam surface 69 on top and against which a roller 72 of arm 47 acts to effect a downward swing to the respective links which, in turn, pulls the carrier therewith into position to allow the presser bar being thrust forward by the then acting levers 57.

Supported by guide frame 42 is a shield 73 serving to prevent the aper which is deposited to the rear thereof being brought into contact with inked type wheels, except through a horizontal slot positioned intermediate two protruding lips 73' to expose the type wheels at the printing line only. Said lips are adapted to extend into the type wheel gullets above and below such lines, as represented in Fig. 2. This shieldis pivoted at 74 to the guide frame and is yieldingly held against the carrier at the top,*or with an inserted paper, by a spring 7 5 connected to an arm 7 3 of the shield.

76 is a slotted plate placed close to the indicator wheels to obviate shadows being cast against the displayed words thereon.

78 represents fingers of spring metal which are secured to said carrier and are employed to hold the aper which is to be printed thereagainst w ien the carrier properly presents such paper to the type wheels.

The operation may be explained as follows: In composing a line of type the proper keys are each set by first presslng the same downwardly to withdraw the pin 23 thereof from itslatch 39 and then moving the key into position so that the pointer 24 thereof will register with a desired index character upon the keyboard, whereupon the key is released and the pin 23 thereof is engaged in the notch 22 presented, through the agency of the respective spring 21 The keys in being thus moved influence through the sector gears 15 the associated indicating wheels 18 and the type wheels 11 to pre sent the selected type characters thereof into the printing line. The paper to be printed is inserted between the carrier 57 and the fingers 78. The operator then swings the lever handle 45 downwardly to actuate the shaft 8 causing finger 43 to be withdrawn from lug 41 when the spring 41 acts to project the line lock 40 in the gullets of the type wheels, as indicated in Fig. 2, for locking the same.

At the beginning of the operation, the various parts occupy the position in which they are illustrated in Fig. 1. In the manipulation of the handle 45, the arm 34 is swung downwardly to produce no effect. The arm 47 is swung forwardly with the result that the roller 52 thereof acting against projection 50 causes the tilting upwardly of the supports for the ink roller 48 with an application of ink to the type wheels and ultimately into the position in which it is represented in Fig. 2. Concurrently with such action of the ink roller, the rollers 72 of arms 47 are brought against the cam surfaces 69 of the arms 69 causing same to pull the carrier downwardly and in conjunction with link ,67 into the position whereat it is shown in Fig. 2. Meanwhile, the cams 46 are operating against the respective rollers 59 resulting in the levers 57 being swung so as to cause the screws 60 thereof to bear against the presser bar whereby the platen thereon presses against the rear of the paper to effect the printing of the composed line of type thereupon and within the shield slot 7 3. The handle 45 is then released by the operator, when spring 44 becomes effective in rotating the shaft 8 into its original condition and, by the reverse action of the arm 47, the links 69 are drawn upwardly by the respective springs 77 to raise the carrier, and the ink roll supportin elements 50 fall to carry such ink roller 1nto its original position. The cam 46 acts meanwhile to allow a spring 79 which acts through rod 58 to aflect the levers 57 so that the upper ends of the same will be swun rearwardly. With the release of the'han le, the shaft 8 swings the arm 34 against a sloping face 32 (Fig. 5) of lever 1 are attached are then drawn rearwardly by f the springs 25 and accomplish the restoration of the indicating and type wheels with which such gears are operatively connected. Should it be desired, however, to print more than one paper with similar characters, then the post 36 is tilted by means of push rod 37 clear of the projection 35 when, it is apparent, the rack frame which holds the keys and the parts operatively connected therewith will remain undisturbed.

What I claim, is-

1. In a printing machine, the combination with the type wheels, -the indicating wheels, and gear wheels secured to the respective type and indicating wheels, of segmental gears in mesh with the gear wheels of the associated type and indicating wheels for actuating the same, springs for the several segmental gears acting through the medium of the latter to restore the indicating and type wheels to inoperative position, a bumper for overcoming the momentum of said segmental gears, and a latch for each of such gears to prevent the rebound of same.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of the rotary type Wheels, gear wheels for the respective type wheels, segmental gears in mesh with said gear wheels, keys carried b the segmental gears for selectively ad usting the various type wheels, pins provided on the respective keys, a rack frame arranged to be engaged by the pins when said frame is in its normal position, means made operative in the printing operation of the machine whereby said frame is shifted to disengage the pins for releasing the keys, and means whereby the aforesaid means may be made inoperative.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of the rotary type wheels, gear wheels for the respective type wheels, segmental gears in mesh with said gear wheels, keys carried by the segmental gears for selectively adjusting the various type wheels, pins provided on the respective keys, a rack frame arranged to be engaged by'the pins when said frame is in its normal position, and means made operative in the rinting operation of the machine where y said frame is shifted to disengage the pins for releasing the keys.

4. In a printing machine, the combination with type wheels and the setting mechanism therefor, of a carrier including a platen, an inking roll, devices cooperating with the inking roll whereby the latter is caused to be moved radially with respect to said wheels when the inking roller is swung across the printing line of the wheels, and means operated by a single handle whereby the inking roll is actuated to apply ink to the type wheels and also serving to operate the carrier to present the article for printing to the type wheels.

5. In a printing machine, the combination with the machine frame, the type wheels, means for setting said type wheels in predetermined printing positions, and devices for releasably securing said means to retain the wheels in set positions, of a carrier for an article to be printed, a platen supported by the carrier, means for imparting downward and forward movements to said carrier, and means for effecting a forward movement to the platen supplementary to that derived from. its movement with the carrier.

6. In a printing machine, the combination of a type wheel, a gear wheel rotatable therewith, a segmental gear in mesh with said gear wheel, a second gear wheel also in mesh with the segmental gear, an indicating wheel rotatable with the second named gear wheel, a key carried by said segmental gear, a pin provided on the key, a rack bar provided with serrations for engaging said pin at various positions of the segmental gear, and means made operative subsequent to printing operation whereby said rack bar is shifted to disengage the pin therefrom.

\Vitnesses PIERRE BARNES.

H. BARNES. 

